


Crait and Narrow

by pinkhairedhoe



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Canon Rewrite, Canon-Typical Violence, Domestic Fluff, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, False Memories, Force Bond, Force Dyad, Force Ghosts, Jealousy, Kylo has issues, M/M, Manipulation, Nightmares, No Beta, Rey is Not a Palpatine, Snoke is a dick, We Die Like Men, but in a healthy way, canon character death, mature for language as of right now, sassy Rey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:42:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 20,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22840438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkhairedhoe/pseuds/pinkhairedhoe
Summary: Kylo Ren is aggressively set in his ways— he is bitter, resentful, and driven to follow in the footsteps of his Sith Lord grandfather.What happens when a Force bond with a mysterious young woman throws him off course?
Relationships: Finn/Poe Dameron (minor), Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	1. An Uninvited Guest

**Author's Note:**

> the beginning of TFA introducing Finn and Rey IS canon in this universe!
> 
> twitter: @pinkhairedh0e

_A dark figure looms over Ben Solo’s cot. The young boy’s face is still with sleep. His cheek rests gently against his thin pillow, looking calm and undisturbed._

_Suddenly, a green glow presses against his eyelids. A soft, buzzing hum tickles at his ears and the Jedi youngling turns his head instinctively toward the sound. Curiosity pries his eyes open to see his Uncle Luke, his green saber poised dangerously close to Ben’s throat, and before he can scream, he —_

Kylo woke up a sweaty mess. He angrily flung his duvet from his body and pushed his hair away from his damp forehead. “The fucking dream, again,” he murmured. The memory of his uncle trying to kill him would not fade from his mind, regardless of his daily meditations with Snoke. It was beginning to interfere with his sleep.

He pulled on a black tunic and replaced his sleep pants with something more suitable for training. He’d combat the recurrence more literally, then. _A distraction, that’s what I need._

A ping came from his meal chute. He shoveled breakfast down with no regard to actual flavor or really any chewing. He was a hulking man, and his portions were larger than anyone else on the ship, yet he ate with a ferocity that resembled that of a starved dog. 

As he pulled on his gloves and tied their straps around his wrist, the dream played again. Same beginning, middle, and end. Every time, Kylo awoke in terror, drenched in sweat, and thoroughly disturbed. 

_I am a grown man, for kriff’s sake, apprentice to the Supreme Leader of the First Order, a Knight of Ren, and far more powerful than my weak Jedi uncle shall ever be._ Yet, the image of the green saber hovering above his flesh sent a shiver down his spine. He was so young then.

He left his chamber and headed straight for the training rooms down the hall. Kylo was generally a respected presence on his own ship, for obvious reasons. On this particular morning the troopers didn’t even acknowledge him, instead fixing their concealed gazes away and ahead. 

Kylo locked the training room door once he arrived. He needed to be alone. He drew his saber from his side, savoring the weight of it against his palm. _Red. The color of the Sith. The literal opposite of green_. He chuckled under his breath. Every dummy and target practice figure would bear his uncle’s face today. 

Hours passed. Kylo stripped to his bare chest to move more freely and to keep from sweating near to death. The temp control onboard did little against his exertion. With every hiss and hum of his lightsaber, a sparring dummy fell to the ground charred and unrecognizable. 

Picturing his uncle was indeed satisfying, but it recalled memories Kylo hadn’t allowed into his mind in years. His tenth birthday. That damned kitchen droid, his first real memory. Nearly breaking his arm sparring with a fellow padawan when he was fifteen. Luke soothing him afterward with a cooling pack. The older man’s voice floated lightly above the slashes echoing in the room. _Oh, Ben, you’ll be okay. Look, you at least still have your arm._ His uncle had playfully waved his mechanical hand to finish his joke.

Kylo sneered at his old name. “Ben Solo is dead,” he said aloud. He could feel the dark side of the Force tingling in his limbs, feeding off his rage. In a clean spin of his saber, he sliced the final dummy in half. “I’d know,” he continued, to no one at all. “I killed him myself.”

The man returned to his chamber to shower. His skin was feverish and flushed with exercise and anger. He turned the ‘fresher on to the hot setting regardless. The sting of it felt invigorating despite the pain.

Snoke hadn’t called for him all day, which was somewhat unusual. Typically, he was summoned by the Supreme Leader early in the morning. It was no matter. 

As he dried off, the wall comm by his bed flashed red and crackled to life.

Hux’s curt voice came through. “Kylo, we have a strategy meeting in a half hour. Control room, as per usual.”

Kylo held down the button to reply. “I was aware, General. I’ll see you soon, then.” 

He huffed, taking another black tunic from his drawers. He hated meetings. Those brutish, stuffy generals and sergeants who had no connection to the Force would never truly understand the power of the dark side, nor his own ability. They were simpering fools, all of them.

Of course, he never expressed it aloud. They were mere puppets. He sat on his unmade bed shirtless, still grasping his clothing in one hand, and gazed out his panoramic window. The galaxy would be his, one day. 

_Will it?_

A soft and unfamiliar voice probed his mind. Kylo nearly jumped at the intrusion and almost drew his saber. He spoke aloud, “Who are you?” His normally gruff voice reduced to a whisper out of shock.

 _I know who you are, and that is what matters. I am no one, Kylo Ren._ The tone was tinged with a bit of apprehension, maybe fear.

His jaw clenched. He spoke in his mind this time, not wanting anyone to overhear and think him delusional or foolish. _I ask again, who are you?_

A delicate laugh echoed in Kylo’s ears. Feminine and gentle. _A scavenger, from a planet called Jakku. And before you ask, I do not know why I am in your head as much as I do not know why you are in mine._

His face scrunched with confusion. 

_I can see you,_ the girl mumbled. _I have been seeing you. As if I am there in the same room, for days. I hear your name spoken by others._

He felt his face flush a deep shade of pink and quickly tugged the tunic over his head. 

_I, I apologize, for, for that._

_No need, Kylo. Maybe one day you shall see me, in person or in your own mind._

He began a question, something about why he could even hear her voice to begin with and what trickery she was employing to do so, but he felt some sort of barrier form. He was stuck, alone, and it was time for a strategy meeting.


	2. Close Encounters

The girl’s words hung over Kylo like a thick cloud. 

He searched the imperial library for records of the planet she named, Jakku. It was indeed real, and a desert, with only sparse trading posts dotted among the sand. He pulled up a 3-D holovid model of the planet and pondered it for a moment. 

The strategy meeting was not useless fluff as he had certainly expected. They had caught wind of a map, stored on a BB unit droid being transported to the Resistance. The droid was allegedly accompanied by two Resistance agents and the group was to be intercepted and captured. More exciting than any news in weeks. 

He gestured loosely with his hand, watching the planet spin. Maybe such excitement could tear his thoughts away from the sound of her laughter, which seemed to be permanently caught in his ears.

Kylo dismissed the holovid. He cannot focus on Jakku, not when a link to the Resistance was nearly in his grasp. _Snoke would be ashamed,_ he thought somberly. _ _Angry.__ He ducked his head and flinched instinctively, picturing Master Snoke’s disapproval.

“Fuck,” he said. His muscles suddenly felt the ache of his rage-driven training from the day, and his whole body screamed at him to sleep. He glanced at his bed, waving away the library droid. _Sleep, yes, then tomorrow. _Tomorrow we capture the Resistance.__

Kylo awoke hours later with a strong metallic taste on his lips. The briefest hint of a green lightsaber flashed against his vision and he cursed gratuitously. The one night he truly needed sleep, _craved_ it, even . . .

_That’s no way to behave in front of a lady._

_My apologies,_ he snapped. _Perhaps the_ lady _should announce her presence before making demands?_

Again, the laugh. _Maybe._

 _Shouldn’t you be asleep?_ He asked, rubbing his swollen eyes.

_I could ask the same of you, Kylo._

He licked his lips before replying _. Sleep does not come easy for me._

Somehow, he could physically feel her emotions soften. _I am sorry, then._

At her changed tone, Kylo felt a pang of guilt for his prior rudeness.

_Truly, there is no need for pity. On occasion I simply request a med droid for sedatives to physically keep me asleep. I am fine._

He paused. He realized how freakish it sounded and scourged himself in his head for his verbal clumsiness.

_Maybe I should leave you to attempt to sleep, Kylo._

_There is no real need, unless you want to. My sleep has not been a safe refuge as of late regardless._

_Why not? Do you have nightmares?_ Despite not knowing the scavenger’s face, he could imagine her expression as she asked. 

_Something of the sort._ He instinctively wanted to tell her everything, but cut himself off with a simpler explanation instead. The tone in his head was shorter and more curt than he had intended. His dreams were embarrassing—it was shameful, truly, for a man of his stature and power to be reduced to a nervous wreck so easily. 

He flushed slightly at how ready he was to tell this near-stranger about what literally kept him up at night. 

The wall between them fluttered. _I see, Kylo._

He felt the barrier solidify and his mind emptied of her voice.

The man focused his gaze out on the vast expanse of stars in the window again. _Why, in_ _this entire galaxy, must the one person who listens to me be so far away?_

The next morning, after a fitful and uncomfortable sleep filled with strange images of brown hair and delicate hands, Snoke summoned Kylo.

He knelt before his master and waited to be spoken to. 

“Kylo Ren. I feel a weakened presence in the Force,” Snoke commented, frowning. “Where is your fire for the dark side, my apprentice?”

“I assure you, Master, I am filled with the spirit of the Sith,” he replied.

He could feel Snoke’s harsh gaze rest upon his bent head. It was only a brief moment but felt like eons.

“Hmm. We shall see, young Kylo.”

“I’m, merely, uh, tired, Master,” he confessed. “My sleep has been disturbed.”

“Visions of your uncle?” Snoke asked. He seemed unfazed. Almost pleased.

Kylo blinked. “Yes, Master,” he said.

“Let them fuel you,” Snoke said, eyes glinting. “Let your anger drive your progression in the Force. You are dismissed.”

Kylo stood, nodded, and left, trying to push Snoke’s apparent satisfaction with his nightmares from his mind.

He was sprawled out on his bed after another punishing training session when the comm beeped loudly. He groaned aloud and cursed Hux. “Goddamn you, Armitage, interrupting my rest.”

The ginger man’s voice came through, saying, “We captured one of the two Resistance fighters who were accompanying the droid.”

Kylo’s pulse quickened. _How could I forget?_

“Are they on board?”

“Yes, and it’s a _she_ , sir. We were hoping you could use the Force to probe her mind for details of the map. We have reason to believe she has seen it. Report to the holding cell in twenty minutes.”

Satisfaction and power surged through him. Finally, a _proper_ distraction. He scrambled to dress himself, relieved that he hadn’t waited to shower. 

As he walked to the cell, he felt a prickle in the Force. Not anything he would have noticed on any other day, but this felt different. He paused in the hallway, searching the Force for a presence. Frustrated, he dismissed the disturbance as a figment of his addled mind. He had more important things to concern himself with. 

He typed in the access code and the door slid aside with a soft hiss. A young girl, at most twenty, maybe twenty-one, was unconscious, restrained at her ankles and wrists with another across her waist. Her forehead was damp with sweat, and wisps of her brown hair stuck at the temples. Her clothing was loose, white linen or something of the sort. _A desert rat._ It was strangely intimate to see her face at rest.

He cleared his throat. “Awake, Resistance spy.” He was told her sedative was weak and would only last less than an hour. 

Her head turned to the other side. Doe-like eyes flashed open, filled with panic. “Where am I? Who are you?” she asked, voice tense.

He smirked under his mask. _“The Supremacy._ Who I am is none of your concern.”

“You’re clearly a Sith,” she spat.

“What do you even know of the dark side?” he replied.

“Enough to not trust you.”

“You clearly do not understand my power. And yet, so much fear within you. Your hands are shaking.” He wasn’t even using the Force to read her emotions and he could physically see her anxiety.

“That happens when you’re being questioned by a creature in a mask.”

He paused and released the sealing mechanism on the front of his helmet to take it off. The girl’s mouth hung open for a moment of silence.

“Kylo?” she said, almost inaudible.

The air flew out of his lungs from shock. Her voice, it was so familiar now. He tried to cover himself with a new mask as quickly as possible. Anger.

“How do you know my name?” he demanded.

The girl gaped. “I’ve been in your head, Kylo. I’m the scavenger from Jakku.” Her eyes were no longer afraid, more disappointed and confused now.

He couldn’t bluff anymore.

“What is your point, scavenger?”

“Kylo, we are connected. Through what exactly I don’t know.”

He recalled the blip in the Force. _Her? Force-sensitive?_

_And not even aware of it._

“A Force bond. Kriff, the Force has a dark sense of humor,” he chuckled. “We are enemies, desert girl. This connection is an ironic joke, as it seems.”

“But, the Force, what I know of it, it doesn’t seem to make mistakes. Or jokes, for that matter,” she added. “And my name is Rey, not _scavenger._ ”

There was a pregnant pause. “How do you know that Jakku is a desert, Kylo Ren?”

A blush crept into his face as he recalled his brief research from the night before.

“I know plenty of things, Rey. You clearly know nothing.”

“Obviously not enough,” she replied coldly. “We are connected for a reason. Either you truly do not know or you are a liar. Maybe both.”

Kylo seethed. “I will _not_ be called a liar by Resistance scum!” His voice echoed in the tiny room. “I have power beyond your minute imagination, more power than you shall ever have.” 

_Then why are you scared?_

He froze. She spoke in his mind. _You are so lonely, Kylo._ _Why so afraid?_

He sneered. “I am _not_ —”

_Then hurt me. Use your grand powers. Do it._

His hand reached out in a claw, nearly around her slender neck. “Do not test me, desert—”

_You won’t._

He let his arm drop and went to the comm on the wall. “She is an insolent brat and I want her out of my sight. She has no respect for the Force nor the power of the First Order,” he hissed. “Take her away!” 

As Kylo turned to leave, she lingered in his head.

_You cannot escape what is within you._


	3. Beneath the Shell

At times like this, he sincerely wished _Supremacy_ had regular doors. He wanted to slam a door, any door, thousands of doors, until all of them were hanging off the hinges and left in smithereens. 

He paced his room, hands balled into fists. He was furious, steaming, raging, _fuming_ at the audacity of Rey—no, that filthy desert rat didn’t deserve a name.

He chose to reflect less on her and more on the bond they had. A _Force_ bond, apparently.

He struggled to recall his Jedi lessons, but Luke had never gone into detail about such a thing. If he had, it was in passing. Kylo was able to recognize one, being as entwined with the Force as he was, but he did not understand why it brought _him_ , heir to the First Order, grandson of Darth Vader, descendant of the Queen of Naboo, and—as much as he disliked it, technically the Prince of Alderaan— to a scrawny, underfed girl.

He was a royal two times over for fuck’s sake, and yet he was inextricably bonded to a nobody. 

_I’m a woman, Kylo. Not a_ girl. _If you’re going to insult me, be proper about it_. Her strange accent chastised him with a hint of sarcasm.

_Leave me, desert scum. I have no patience for your games._

_You’re a prince?_

He sighed aloud. _In the most technical sense, yes, I am._ He didn’t realize that she had access to some of his thoughts until now and made a note to censor them if he heard her again.

_What does ‘in the most technical sense’ mean? You’re either a prince or you aren’t, I’m pretty sure._

_And what do you know of royalty? Princess dolls?_ He was openly being abrasive now and he felt no true remorse.

 _I’ve never owned a doll, Prince Kylo. I was an orphan, abandoned on Jakku by parents I never knew, and turned to scavenging old ships for parts and selling them to survive. My sincerest regrets if I’m not good enough for Your Royal Assholishness._ The last few words came out more like a hex than a title.

_I have never claimed to be a prince. Alderaan no longer exists. Its people are dead._

_Not if you’re still around, tragically._

_My mother is the last remaining member of the royal family and it holds no actual significance to me._

_It clearly upsets you. I’m calling you Prince Kylo from now on._

The idea did make him upset, she wasn’t wrong.

_Do you know what happened to Alderaan?_ he asked.

_You forget, Prince Kylo, I don’t know anything. Remember?_

He ignored her sass and called the library droid.

“Search for Alderaan.” The tiny thing beeped in happy reply. A holovid appeared of a beautiful, serene planet, suddenly being blasted apart.

Rey gasped.

_That is the power of the Dark Side._

She was silent.

_Do not provoke me again._


	4. Fear and Loathing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> long chapter for y’all! thank u sm for the kudos and comments, they make my day 🥺
> 
> •
> 
> this title is a reference!   
> if you understand it i love u 3000

It had been a week. A week of fending off the scavenger girl’s attempts to prod at him though their bond. Kylo was beyond fed up with her nonsense. 

He hadn’t tried to interrogate her again, but promised Snoke he would do his worst by the end of the month.

He scowled, pouring over projections of Jedi texts. _Snoke likely wouldn’t be happy if he saw this,_ he thought. Thank the Force his quarters were private. 

He managed to find something about Force bonds indicating a deep and meaningful relationship between two individuals, which heavily suggested the concept of soulmates. He rolled his eyes at the very idea. A dirty desert rat was not his soulmate or anything close. 

He moved on. “'Dyad’? What the hell are dyads?” he wondered aloud. 

It explained further down that they were connections between Force-sensitive beings, intended to bring balance and structure to the Force. Force bonds could apparently be forged between anyone who shared a strong relationship. Force dyads were natural, and activated once both individuals become aware of their connection to the force. The text listed masters and their padawans as examples of bonds as well as Force-sensitive siblings. A margin mentioned that husbands and wives could have them too.

Kylo was reminded of the Jedi code rule prohibiting ‘attachments’. He never considered what it actually meant for him in a long term sense as a child, and now, as an adult, he thought romance and companionship to be somewhat above him. 

_At least I’m free._

_Are you though?_

_Sadly enough I am not free of your obnoxious presence._ He regretted turning his attention toward something else. Recalling her ability to view his surroundings, he shut off the library droid.

_Your bed looks far more comfortable than my accommodations._

It was an entirely innocent comment but it made something on the back of Kylo’s neck prickle.

Unconsciously, he appeared to be transported to Rey’s plain black cell. She was laying on her back, in a simple black jumpsuit. Without even looking up she greeted him.

_I see you've figured it out._ _You're in my cell, correct?_

_Yes._ Indeed, it seemed less comfortable. But it was, of course, a cell. And he could not let himself forget that she was a prisoner. _His_ prisoner. 

_Why haven’t you kicked me out of our mind chat yet? Usually you get pissy at me within ten minutes._

He refused to answer. He didn’t even really know why.

_I know it's not because I’m funny._ _You’re still curious._

He stayed silent. She had seen those documents, that much he knew. 

“Listen, I know very little about this Force business,” she said, out loud this time. He jumped at the sudden noise. 

“Sorry, it’s just odd to have an entirely silent conversation with someone who is essentially in the same room as me,” she said. She sat up on her bed and glanced at him.

“I understand,” he mumbled, looking away. Making eye contact with her was disturbingly personal. He felt emotionally naked especially given their heightened awareness of each other.

“I’m not asking you for help,” she clarified. “I dislike the idea of asking you of all people for help.”

Kylo was affronted at her implication. It nearly sparked his anger again, but he remained calm as she continued to speak.

“I don’t know what it means to be, what’s the weird phrase you used, Force-something?”

“Sensitive,” he filled in.

“Yes, right, sensitive. I don’t understand it. And it scares me to a degree. Why me, of all people? It seems like something special or important and I don’t think I’m either of those.”

He wanted to be an asshole again. The surface layer of him wanted to laugh in her face, agree, and leave her there. For the first time in their interactions though, he didn’t. 

“My mother is Force-sensitive,” he said, sitting down on the opposite wall. “My father is . . . not. My grandfather was Darth Vader, previously Anakin Skywalker, so that’s where she got it from.”

She nodded. “I still don't understand who Darth Vader is, but keep going.”

“He was a great Sith lord. I intend to continue his legacy of bringing true order to the galaxy. He is the one who destroyed Alderaan.”

Rey stiffened in discomfort and he quickly digressed. 

“Anakin himself didn’t have a father. He was poor. Force-sensitivity is often a family thing, hereditary, but occasionally, it chooses someone. I’m not the person to explain why.”

“That somehow both helped and made me feel more lost. Every interaction with you is going to be like that, I suppose.”

Kylo stared impersonally at his hands. “I need to go,” he announced.

“Oh, okay, I—”

Before she could finish, he shut the bond and he was back in his rooms. _I cannot speak to her in such a personal manner again_. 

Regret settled on his shoulders. “I am weak, so _weak_ and foolish and _gullible_ ,” he murmured to himself. She was likely tricking him to pass intelligence on to the Resistance and he was _falling for it_.

Snoke’s own words rang in his mind. _Your family rejected you, Kylo Ren. They saw you as useless and disposable. Through the Force, and the Dark Side, you can gain your revenge._

He hated the soft parts of himself that he hadn’t managed to hide away. He wanted them gone, wanted all his sympathy and affection _gone_ , so he could forget his family and his pain and focus on his true destiny.

_But Rey._ He saw some part of himself in her, he supposed. The fear and uncertainty and feelings of being inadequate. 

He considered trying to convince her to join the Dark Side, to harness her abilities instead of stifling her potential with the Resistance. She did seem somewhat sympathetic to him, after all.

Kylo shook his head for a moment as if physically trying to empty his mind. _No. No. Your only purpose with the desert rat is to get the information out of her. She is merely a tool. A tool._

Any effort she seemed to put in to speak to him was all a ploy, he decided. He had the power here, _not_ her. He would not cave.

_Every interaction with you is_ going to be _like that._

The wording inherently suggested that she had every intention of speaking with him again. Her motivation could only be espionage. He was Kylo Ren, of all people, broken, angry, and stewing in the Dark Side. 

No one should actually want him.

Snoke could not discover his true reason for delaying her second interrogation. He became grateful that as far as his master knew, Kylo was holding her in complete darkness, feeding her once a day, and waiting on her firm resolve to break.

Ironically enough, she was the one breaking him.

Every night after his now regularly scheduled nightmare, she would come to him, poking at the wall weakened by his terror. He had found it difficult to maintain it without some concentration. 

She would maybe get in one or two sentences, asking _Are you okay?_ or sometimes _It’s just a dream, Kylo, just a dream,_ before he would build up the resolve to focus on keeping her out again.

She didn’t know him. _It’s not just a dream_ , he thought grimly. That was his only memory of that night, hazy and short. The piercing ache of fear in his chest was the clearest part. 

If he was being honest, her presence was almost soothing at first. Once he came to his senses, she became a nuisance. Like a fly he’d forgotten about, buzzing around his room and darting away.

_That’s what she is to me._ _A pest._

He had two days to question her before Snoke became suspicious. Kylo wanted it over with, but he still felt so, so weak, what with her daily intrusions into his head. 

The man sighed as he settled into bed. _I’ll have her brought before me again tomorrow._

The nightmare came again, but no Rey in his mind. Relieved, Kylo decided to train for the rest of the morning. Just in case. 

He wished he had never taken off his helmet.

_You are a fool. An arrogant fool._ He could almost hear Snoke’s gravelly voice berating him as he sparred with one of his Knights. He grew more and more aggressive as the tidal wave of degradation flooded his mind.

The Knight looked alarmed at Kylo’s abrupt intensity. 

“Kylo? Sir?” His tone was panicky.

It wasn’t unusual for the man to fight like that, but something in his eyes was out of the ordinary.

He paused, realizing what he was doing and lowering his saber. “Apologies, Knight,” he said, panting. “You–you are dismissed.”

His partner nodded quickly and scurried out. Kylo turned to the mirrored wall of the training room. He was drenched in sweat, his eyes dark and haggard, and his fist white around his now extinguished saber. He looked barely human. _I can't let Rey see me like this_. 

He physically stepped back, surprised at the betrayal of his own mind. “She is the desert rat, the Resistance spy, nothing more!” he said.

“No more of this ‘Rey’ business,” he muttered. “No more.”

After a brief shower, Kylo was dressed and headed to the holding cell. He had resolved to keep his helmet _on_ , and set his jaw tightly closed underneath. _None of that familiar bullshit._

He took a breath before entering the room.

There she was, dressed in black instead of white, restrained once again.

“Kylo,” she said, greeting him. Her eyes were dull.

“Scavenger,” he replied. “I have no patience for your deceptions this time.”

She furrowed her brow in confusion at his statement. “Deception? Kylo, what are you—”

He waved his hand and her mouth was held shut by the Force. 

“I am not your _friend,_ ” he hissed. “I came here to obtain your knowledge of the map. I don’t even need it through words, desert girl.”

Rey appeared perplexed for a moment, before her eyes grew wide.

_You wouldn’t._

It was apparently very difficult to resist the coupling of the bond with her so physically close.

_Oh, but I have._

He closed his eyes to shut out the image of her silent pleas. It disturbed his focus.

Kylo sifted through memories like sand. Not surprising, many of the memories were _just_ of sand. Dust, and wind, and a blazing sun, and hot metal. He caught glimpses of a slimy creature and one or two of a drunk smuggler grasping her arm. Something akin to jealousy flared in him. 

Shoving down her memories of Jakku, he found what he was looking for. He pinpointed the map in her mind and made sure it was clear in his. He flicked his hand upwards and opened his eyes. 

Re— _the Resistance girl_ was breathing heavily. Kylo released the hold over her mouth. 

“Thank you, Resistance scum. Wasn’t that simpler than expected?” 

She looked dejected. “You’re a monster. Kriff, I thought there was good in you, Kylo! I came to you every night for a week after your nightmares and you turned me away, ungrateful! Y-you are—” she paused to take a sharp breath, stuttering. “You are so _committed_ to your own misery you refuse any compassion you are shown!”

Hot, biting fury rose in Kylo's chest. His hand hovered over the saber hanging at his hip. His teeth gritted together.

“You test your luck, desert girl.” 

“You won’t hurt me,” she said. “I’m the one person in this galaxy who gives you affection, as it seems. Quite clearly that was a waste of my energy.”

“I have no _need_ of your affection, disobedient fool!” He stepped forward, jutting one finger in her face.

She looked up defiantly at his mask, where she would have been making eye contact with him. The tension hung in the space between for a moment. 

Her face softened. “Oh, Kylo. How you have been misled,” she breathed.

From under the mask, he was immediately confused.

“Everyone needs love,” she said simply. “I don't know about you, but if someone cared about me even a tiny amount, I would take it.”

How dare she act like she understood him. He ignored the feeling in his stomach, reduced down from a raging fire to a pleasant tingle. He didn’t want or need to be understood.

“I only need power.” He turned on his heel and stopped at the doorway before she could reply. “Love is none of my concern.”

With that, he left. 

He comm’d Hux to inform him that he’d succeeded, and would transfer the memory via the Force to a droid for delivery to control the next morning. He was pleased with himself. That is, if he ignored the brief sensations that stirred in him whenever he thought of the insurgent girl.

The jealousy, the fluttering that felt like insects’ wings against his ribs, and the soothing warmth.

_So foreign._

It didn't matter. She would either be killed or held for ransom within the week. 

Snoke will never know of his fluke weakness for the girl from Jakku.

_Weakness?_ Her tone was teasing and it made his face hot.

_My only true weakness is my desire to push you out into deep space._

_You surely don’t mean that._

_Or run you through with my lightsaber, or Force choke you to death, behead you, any number of ways._

_I was right. You are truly terrified._

_Your presumptions only grow more irritating, scavenger._

_They are not presumptions, Kylo. You say this like we are strangers._

_We_ are _strangers. Not even just, we are_ enemies. 

_I know your name. I know that you sleep in the dark, shirtless, but with pants on. I know that you hate milk, I know that your mother is from Alderaan, I know_ —

_Stop your listing, those are merely facts. You do not know me, scavenger._ The more personal ones made his ears burn, though. He was deeply appreciative of his long hair now.

_Denial changes nothing, Kylo. And please, you can stop pretending you don’t want to call me Rey and drop the ‘scavenger’ nonsense._

He was prepared to scowl something back at her, but she was gone.


	5. Revelation

With the new information, the _Supremacy_ barreled toward the Resistance’s secondary base. Snoke was content with Kylo’s weaseling, and suggested the girl could be used as a bargaining chip. He confirmed that she didn't hold any other pertinent information. 

Kylo stood on the command deck, looking over the thickly jungled landscape of the planet as they searched for a place to send out pods. Hux smirked beside him.

“That Resistance girl was a tough nut to crack, was she?” he said.

Kylo pursed his lips. “She was merely . . . feisty. Very easy to gain what I wanted after she shut up.”

Hux chuckled darkly. “Good thing she’s pretty. Too bad about the rebel whore thing.”

“Rebel whore?” Kylo asked.

“Oh please, she was a stranded woman on a trading post planet. She sold her body without a doubt,” Hux said, with disgusting confidence. “A few of the Stormtroopers were talking about her, if I recall.”

Kylo’s vision went pure white at the idea, but tried to maintain a level appearance. He turned his head at the lines of troopers marching out toward the hangar to load into cruiser ships. “Which ones, exactly?”

Ever the gossip, Hux dropped three or four ID numbers. The taller man typed them into his command link to report to his chambers in a few minutes instead of the hangar.

Needless to say, four dismembered troopers decorated his quarters in mere seconds. He sighed at the mess and summoned a droid. He had a battle to get to.

_Kriff, I hate humidity._ The air of this planet was oppressively warm and damp. He began to regret his commitment to black clothing. _At least the helmet maintains its temperature._

He carefully moved through the thickets of vines, slashing them through with his saber if they got in his way. In the distance, he picked up on blaster fire and a few shouts. Then, much closer, a rustling in the greenery.

He squinted, stepping forward to investigate. He saw what he believed to be a small frame in black clothing. Then she stood up, out of her hiding place.

_Kylo. I wish I could say I was sorry._

She bolted, running impossibly fast through the forest.

He almost made a start after her. Almost. 

It was best to let Rey go.

Initially, he was relieved to have his head to himself again. No barrier to maintain. No need to devote part of his mental energy to escaping her persistence. 

He did reflect on how she escaped, theorized that she likely saw an opportunity with the majority of the ship empty and took it. Possibly with help. 

Thankfully, Snoke cared little about it. He waved it off as a small price to pay for taking the rebel base. 

Kylo’s respite did not last long.

  
  


_Two hushed voices mingle on the other side of the wall. Ben presses his ear against it to find out what exactly they’re saying._

_His mother speaks first. “Han, it’s just exhausting,” she says._

_“I know, Leia. I don’t know what to do with him! I mean, if going to Jedi school won’t help . . .” the gruffer tones of his father reply._

_“It’s not Jedi school, Han. It’s meant to give them discipline, structure. The stars know Ben needs it.” She pauses to take a sip of something. “What if he doesn’t stop acting out?” Her voice is shaky._

_“It’d be disappointing,” Han says. “So much effort.”_

_Ben feels hot tears come to his face. He’s a disappointment._

Kylo’s face was damp when he woke up. A drop of something rolled over his cupid’s bow and onto his lips. 

_Salty. Tears._

_Stars above, how weak must I be?_ He felt like his ten year old self again. There was nothing he hated more than feeling like _Ben Solo._

He stared at the mirror in the bathroom. He certainly didn’t look like he was ten anymore. His face had settled into manhood, his chest and shoulders had broadened, and he was taller than anyone else on the ship. That version of him was nearly twenty years in the past. 

Something about hearing his parents’ disapproval, their fear, their frustration with him, regressed him into a sobbing child. It made his hands shake. 

He trained endlessly to cope. The dummy storage was emptied and brought out. The Knights refused to spar with him anymore. They were not cowards by any means, but the animosity Kylo displayed was terrifying. They, at the very least, valued their lives and pride.

His hands ached, his arms ached, his legs ached. He pushed through the pain and tapped further into the dark side, which welcomed his agony. He yelled at Stormtroopers with little provocation, killed those he was truly annoyed with. Even Hux was meek and quiet around him, and he was the sassiest person on the ship. 

Through all of it, his only wish was for Rey. He hated how her words made him feel, how much they rang true within him. He was torn. 

Snoke was beyond pleased with his newfound dedication. He reinforced his nightmares, told him they were only further evidence of his destiny. There was an odd glint in his master’s eyes whenever they spoke, but Kylo disregarded it.

Against his better judgment, he tried to call out to her through the Force, and through their bond. Each time it went unanswered. 

He sent one after every nightmare. He sent one after every command meeting. He sent one after every conversation with Snoke, he sent one before _and_ after every training session. He made certain to send one every morning and night. 

It drove him mad. Of course, someone like Rey would abandon him like everyone else had. He had scared her off with his anger and bitterness.

He didn’t stop, though. Some tiny part of him held hope for a reply. 

Months likely passed. Kylo paid very little attention to time. He was preparing to sleep when he decided to send out one more call, just for the routine of it.

_What in the name of the Force do you want with me, Kylo?_

He sat bolt upright. _Rey, you’re there._

_Of course I am you dolt. I've been ignoring your pings for weeks on end._

_Why?_ He was impatient now.

He could see her, sitting in a dim hut. _I’ve been, busy, to say the least. Training myself in the Force._

Kylo knew the answer but asked regardless. _With a man named Luke Skywalker?_

Rey looked surprised. _Yes, actually. The Force led me to him. He, he told me he was your uncle._

He laughed in their bond. _I suppose. I’d hardly call him that now._

She shifted on her small bed, folding her legs. _I told him of my time with you, on the_ Supremacy _. Told him of your loneliness and fear._

He snorted indignantly. 

_It saddened him, Kylo. He shed tears over it._

He resisted the urge to cackle. _He is the reason for my pain. Or part of it. He tried to kill me in my sleep._

Rey was speechless as Kylo continued.

_That has been the subject of my nightmares for years. They’ve—they have only worsened in your absence._

She took him in, the dullness in his eyes and the pallor of his skin. He was pale to begin with, but he had no life in his features now. 

_Luke told me he didn’t know what he did or Han and Leia did for you to run away. He said the guilt of it has been eating them alive for_ years. _That is why he hid, believing that he had wronged you somehow._

Kylo let out a low laugh. _I already told you, he tried to kill me._

Rey bristled. _He told me nothing of the sort._

_If you wish to look in my memories, you may do so,_ he offered. 

_Are you sure?_

_Yes._

He saw her figure nod and he allowed her access into his mind.

She flinched seeing his outbursts and solitude. A tear fell down her cheek through the nightmares and Snoke’s harsh words. He felt small ripples of his prior fear and anxiety as she searched.

_Kylo?_

_Yes?_

_I cannot find such a memory_ , she breathed. _Nor any memory connected to your parents belittling you in that way._

He furrowed his brow. _They are there._

_No,_ she repeated. _There are only memories of the dreams._

_You lie._

_I have no reason to lie, Kylo. They are not real._

His chest constricted. _Then why do they haunt my sleep and waking hours? Why do I feel such fear? How can they reduce me to nothing in spite of all my efforts?_ His voice was a roar inside of his mind, but he realized he was crying again.

Rey reached her hand out for him. _Come Kylo._

He obeyed without a thought and appeared in her room. The small hut smelled of earth and moss, but she was warm and clean. _I understand why you are crying,_ she reassured him. _It’s okay._

“It’s weak,” he murmured into her shoulder, but she hushed him. 

“It’s far weaker to hide from it. That is all you have done for so long. Acknowledge your pain, there is strength in it that does not come from the dark side.”

For a few moments, they stood, embracing, as Kylo wept. He pulled away and licked his dry lips before speaking.

"I don't quite understand how to have a friend, Rey. I know only that I need one. And that you are willing, if you are still generous enough."

She smiled. “Yes, I am. Now please, sleep in peace.”

He nodded and their bond cut off.

For the first time that Kylo could recall, he didn’t have a nightmare.


	6. Shed

A couple days later, he contacted Rey again.

_Hello._

_Hello,_ he replied.

_Have you been sleeping okay?_

He nodded. _Yes, yes, much better than I was. The nightmares—well, they still come. I’m just less affected now, knowing that—_

 _They’re not real, yes._ She paced in her hut. _I've been considering why you have them and why you thought they were actually your memories for a while._

She pressed her lips together. _I think they’re Snoke’s creations. Your memories showed him encouraging your feelings surrounding them, correct?_

_He did. He didn't seem surprised at all and guessed what they were about, actually._

_He’s been manipulating you for so long, Kylo. Tricking you and turning you against your loved ones. I suppose he took advantage of your family history of the dark side?_

_Even my uncle had his moments of temptation._

_Indeed, he told me himself._

The idea of his uncle brought an ache to Kylo's chest. _Now I am the one left guilty._

 _These circumstances are not your fault_ , she said, adamant.

_I understand. It’s—it’s just not difficult to feel culpable for their suffering._

_I know, Kylo._ She appeared before him and took his hand. “The common enemy is Snoke, not yourself.”

He nodded. “Does my uncle know of the bond? The dyad, that is?”

Rey flushed. “Yes, I told him of our conversations. He is very grateful for your forgiveness. He passes his love and the love of your parents to you.”

Kylo looked down at their joined hands and whispered, “I have begun to miss them, for the first time in a long time.”

“Soon,” she said, resting her free hand on his face. “Oh, before I go, may I call you Ben?”

His eyes widened at the name he had not heard in years. Rey mistook it for discomfort and began to backtrack. 

“Kylo, it’s no—it’s of no offense to me if you’d prefer that I didn’t use that na—”

“Call me Ben,” he said firmly. “Kylo was a persona, the darkest parts of me that I wish to forget now.”

Her eyes brightened. “Okay. Ben. I return to the Resistance soon, and I have a plan for when I do. I will contact you again as soon as possible.”

There was the tiniest urge to kiss her forehead before she left. _Force, she makes me feel whole. Human. I missed that._

Ben had to physically conceal his newfound happiness from those on his ship. The helmet was beyond helpful.

He fueled his training with thoughts of freeing himself from Snoke instead of deep seated hate. He waited with bated breath for Rey to come through again. 

He woke up quickly from his dreams before they ended and sleep came fast afterward. He had nearly forgotten how good it felt to rise in the morning rested.

He was standing in his quarters, towel around his hips, when she floated into his mind.

He could see her, dressed in something similar to her desert outfit, in a plain grey room. He was so elated to see her that he almost forgot his attire—or lack of.

 _Rey?_ Ben asked, smiling.

 _Ben. It’s good to see you,_ she said, cheeks pink. She purposefully focused her gaze on his face. _I know it’s been a while, but I needed to get some things settled before I informed you of my plan._

He sat down on his bed quickly. _Yes, please, tell me everything._

She cleared her throat hard before beginning. _So, the Resistance plans to attack the_ Supremacy _in two days. On board, together, we're going to kill Snoke._

His heart fluttered at the idea of killing the man who had caused his endless torment. _I’m ready._

_With Snoke gone, you’re Supreme Leader. Once the dust settles, you essentially become a double agent. I do have a plan from there but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, okay?_

Ben considered everything for a second. _Okay. Yes. I may need to get my second-in-command involved too, if that’s okay. Hux, is his name, Armitage._

_Whatever you need to do, Ben._

A man with dark skin and short black hair crossed in front of Rey, flopping down on a bunk across from her. He was handsome, with high cheekbones and a full mouth. _That’s Finn, he’s taking a nap._

He tightened his jaw. _Yes. I see that. I have to get dressed now, but thank you for informing me. I shall see you in two days, then._ He excused himself from the conversation and stood to get clothing.

The next morning, Rey tapped in.

_Ben. I know you're weirdly jealous of Finn._

_No, I am not_ , he insisted. 

He definitely was.

She rolled her eyes. _Yeah, sure, whatever you’d like to tell yourself. Come take a look for a moment._

He sighed and complied with her request. Finn was holding hands with a man dressed in an orange fighter pilot suit, gently stroking his thumb across the other’s. The pilot laughed and gave Finn a peck on the cheek, quickly followed by a proper kiss and groans all around.

 _You’re dumb,_ Rey teased. 

Ben blushed. _I didn’t know he had a boyfriend!_

_Oh, you’re fine. Just wanted to prove you wrong._


	7. Closing the Gap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another long chapter! once again, kudos and comments are much appreciated!
> 
> •
> 
> TW: blood mention

He knew what was coming. He'd been almost sick with anxiety and anticipation, and it was happening. Hux comm’d him, frantically requesting his immediate presence on the bridge. He was already dressed and arrived as quickly as he could without looking overeager. 

Ben took a breath to appear as if he had no clue what was going on. “What seems to be the problem?” he asked coolly.

Hux looked a little frazzled. “We’re being attacked by the Resistance, sir.”

“I can see that quite clearly, Hux. You must think me foolish.” 

“Of course not, this is simply very unexpected,” the general said. “We are low on troops today, since we needed to send out a division to quell some riots in the Outer Rim earlier in the week, and we are in a less than optimal position.”

“It’s no matter,” Ben replied confidently. “The might of the First Order is superior, is it not?”

Hux swallowed. “Yes, sir.”

“Send troopers to the blaster stations but clear the flight deck and security monitors, I have no use for idiots wasting time away from the battle.”

Ben was secretly pleased with his ability to carry out Rey’s plan while keeping Hux entirely out of the loop for now.

He spoke to her in his mind to update his progress. _No one should be in the hangar now. Or paying attention to anyone who may or may not come in._

 _Gotcha,_ she replied, tapping a lightsaber hilt at her hip. _I leave no witnesses._

 _Once you're in, take a left, then a right. Elevator up two floors. My quarters is the majority of that floor but the main entrance is third one down. Lock the door until I give you a signal._ He hesitated before adding, _Stay safe, Rey._

_I’m a big girl, I will._

She disconnected quickly.

Ben stayed at the bridge until he received a series of comms indicating a breach at a crucial part of the ship. He scowled and informed Hux he had business to take care of.

He stalked down to that part of the ship, looking around every corner suspiciously. He kept his saber drawn the whole time. 

“Ben?” A deep, familiar baritone asked.

He stepped forward to see his father in the hallway. Han was the same reckless rogue as ever, blaster by his side, but his hair was fully grey now, and a tired look had settled onto his face. 

“Dad?” Ben asked, in near disbelief. He turned off his saber and nearly broke into a run. 

Han embraced his son as the two men collided. “Oof, son, you’ve gotta be careful with your old man here, you seem so much bigger than you were when I last saw you,” he chuckled. “I’ve missed you—me and your mother have missed you.”

“I’m so sorry, I, Snoke, he—” Ben stuttered trying to explain. 

Han quieted him with a hand on his shoulder. “You're okay, Ben. That girl from Jakku, Rey? Is that her name? She told us what was happening. If anything I’m the sorry one. Your uncle Luke was losing his mind over it, he was so relieved to hear you were okay.”

Ben snapped out of his rush of joy, remembering where they were. “Did you just come onboard to see me? You know it’s _dangerous_ here, right? This ship is crawling with stormtroopers—”

His father cut him off again. “Ben, I have shot many a trooper in my day. Don’t worry.”

He relaxed a little. “Okay, if you insist, but I want you out of here immediately. I refuse to let you get hurt.”

“Aye, aye, Captain,” Han sang. With that, he pulled out his blaster and started moving back down the hall. To avert suspicion, Ben comm’d back to command that it was only a technology error, and he'd return soon. It wasn't exactly true, but Hux likely wasn’t paying enough attention to bring it up later. 

He knocked quickly on a side door to his quarters. He sent a message through the Force to soothe any fear Rey may have felt at the intrusion. 

_Oh thank the Force, I was terrified, Ben._

The door slid open soon after her reply. 

“Is it time?” she said simply. 

“Almost,” he said. “I’ll let you know. Come in as soon as possible after that. All the stormtroopers are busy fighting on other parts of the ship, but the throne room is protected by Snoke's personal guard. We’ll need to take them down after I kill him.”

A beep came through on Ben’s commlink. “Snoke. He wants me in the throne room,” he explained. “You can follow my Force signature to the correct location?”

She nodded. “It’ll be easy, I should have just done that when you came to the door.”

He turned to leave, but waited a second, taking her free hand in his, squeezing it once.

"I'll see you soon."

  
  


“Kylo Ren,” Snoke’s voice called out from across the cavernous room. 

_I will be a grateful man the day I never hear that name again._

“Master Snoke,” Ben responded.

“Don’t you know why you’ve been summoned?” 

“No, Master,” he said, rising from his knees. 

Snoke smiles. It was revolting watching him smirk with such apparent glee. “I have a very, very special surprise for you.”

His stomach turned. Two of Snoke's men emerged holding Han. His hands were cuffed in front of him and there was a cut on his cheek.

Ben Solo wanted to slash every person who had caused his father harm to ribbons. Kylo Ren had to act pleased.

“My father?” he asked. “Why would you bring _him_ before me?”

He cursed his father's lack of Force sensitivity. _Silent communication would be priceless right now._

Snoke grinned wider, his black eyes glinting. “So you can kill him, Kylo. Take the life of the man who has caused you so much pain.”

Han’s eyes were desperate, although he was clearly trying to remain calm. Ben knew he was conflicted.

“Nothing would bring me more pleasure, Master,” Ben stated confidently. 

_Rey, now, please._

“May I speak to him first? I wish to confront him before he dies at my hand.”

Snoke nodded and waved his hand at the guards. They brought Han forward in front of the throne and shoved him to the floor. He winced.

“For years,” Ben spat, “you made me miserable.” _Dear Force, I hate how easily this comes back to me._ “I was treated as worthless space dust by you and my mother. _You_ drove me to my path.”

He felt Rey’s Force signature tickle the back of his mind. _Whenever you’re ready._

_Ready._

He ignited his saber and raised it high. Ben let his eyes focus on his father’s. “I love you. Run.”

In a single motion, before anyone had time to react to Ben’s words to his father, a red glow sliced Snoke in half. 

The guards charged after Ben, who began to duel with as many of them as he could. In the chaos, he heard the doors slam open. A blue lightsaber darted in and out of his peripheral vision. The smell of charred flesh and cloth burned his nose. 

“Looks like I came at a perfect time,” Rey quipped. They were back to back, slashing at the guards. 

“I’ll have more time to laugh at that later!”

She used his back as leverage to kick away an advancing guard. The hiss of sabers clashing made it near impossible to talk.

 _On your left, your LEFT!_ Ben shouted in her head.

Rey spun her saber and quickly decapitated another one of the men. Ben elbowed the final guard to the ground and stabbed him through. They stood, frozen, adrenaline filling their bodies as they tried to come down from the high. She cautiously scanned the room with her eyes, holding her lightsaber out as a threat. 

She turned it off and let her arms slump to her sides. 

“He’s really dead,” she breathed.

Ben glanced up from the floor. His breaths were heavy and deep. Snoke’s body draped over the throne like an ugly pelt. “I'd say so.”

Rey’s eyes drifted to him and she covered her mouth in shock. “Ben, your eye,” she said.

Confused, he reached up to touch his face and hissed at the sting of raw flesh. “It’s only a cut,” he soothed. “Better that than my life.”

She tutted at him. “I suppose you’re right.” She knelt to run her finger over the irritated skin. “I do hate seeing you hurt,” she murmured. 

Their eyes met. “I’ll make a note to avoid injuries in the future,” he joked. 

Rey rolled her eyes. “Please do.” 

Ben realized she was holding his hands. He looked up. Then down. Then back up to her. 

He freed one of his hands to rest against her face and kissed her gently. 

_I’ll stop doing anything that upsets you, I swear._

She smiled softly at him. “We don’t have time to discuss _that_ , Ben, not right now,” she said, gathering herself. “But we will.”

He nodded in agreement. “We have to find Han and get you off the ship.”

“That man in here? He was your father?”

“Yes. I told him to run but—”

He stopped dead in his tracks. His father was lying on the shiny floor of the hallway, clutching his hand across his blood-soaked shirt and vest.

“What did they do to you?” Ben asked, falling to his knees.

Han chuckled weakly. “I’m not sure if I’ve got the breath to tell, but I think this says it all.” He gestured in the general direction of his torso. “They roughed me up good, Benny boy. Snot man in there told them specifically not to kill me, but the—” he wheezed, “the bandage they slapped on it started soaking through.”

Ben’s eyes began to water. “They’re all dead now,” he told him, squeezing the clean hand tightly. 

Rey knelt cautiously beside them. “Hello, Mr. Solo,” she whispered. 

Han smiled up at her. “Call me Han. You take care of him, alright?”

She flushed immediately. “I, I mean, of course.”

“Don’t think I didn’t know. I’ve got an eye for it, kids.” 

He turned his head back to his son. “We’ve got the same taste in women, don’t we. Strong, tough, and beautiful.”

Ben could feel warm rivers forming down his face. 

“Tell Leia I love her,” he mumbled. “And I love you too son.”

Han let out a final, gentle breath. His hand went limp in Ben’s.

Rey brushed away a tear. “Is that what it’s like? To have a father?”

He nodded silently. “And I took it for granted."

Rey comm’d the pilot friend to help carry Han’s body back to the ship. He received confirmation that they returned safely a few hours later. Ben wanted to kiss her again before he left, but it felt inappropriate.

With Snoke gone, Ben was Supreme Leader. His Knights now answered only to him, and Hux was in no position to question his orders anymore. 

While he was glad to be at peace with Han’s death, he did have a request for Rey.

_Rey? Is now a good time?_

_Yes, of course, what do you need?_

_. . . Can you show me where they buried him?_

She nodded solemnly. She walked out to a small plot of fresh soil, marked with a stone. He appeared beside her and reached down to feel it with his fingers.

"Goodbye Dad."

He stood and wrapped his arm around her, kissing her forehead. _Thank you, Rey. I’ll talk to you tomorrow._

_Hux was suggesting a raid on Takodana,_ Ben said, rolling his eyes. 

_Maz would take down the Imperial Army by herself._

He laughed. _I should meet her then. Could always use a good soldier._

_Besides, Takodana is too forested to do anything cleanly._

_I agree. This needs to be fast._

Rey leaned against her drawers. _Tatooine?_

Ben considered the suggestion. _It_ is _mostly barren. Why would the Resistance go there though?_

_Hmmm, I’ll think of something. Give me a moment._

_I have a moment_. _The scar is healing well, by the way._ The gash had calmed into a faint pink line.

 _The First Order would have business on Tatooine_. _From what I’ve heard it’s overrun with smugglers and criminals, is it not?_

He nodded. _Could argue it’s a patrol, flexing our power over law breakers._

_I don't need an explanation on my end, so there’s your planet._

_Perfect._

He broke his long silence next to Hux. “I intend to make a patrol on Tatooine in the next few days.”

The general nodded obediently. “Of course, Supreme Leader.”

Ben smiled under the helmet. _Easier than expected._

“Set the course, then.”

He left swiftly in a way that he hoped looked confident and self-assured. 

Once he was safe in the confines of his rooms, he freed himself from his Supreme Leader regalia.

 _Now, what did you want to discuss?_ he asked.

 _The kiss, in the throne room,_ she said softly.

_Ah, yes, that, and I—I kissed you on the forehead two days ago too._

_Yes, you did._ She buried her face in her hands. _Oh, Ben, I’m so glad you did. I’d wanted to so many times but I was_ so _scared you didn’t feel the same._

 _The same?_

_Mind if I . . ._

_Oh, of course._ He nodded. 

Rey stepped forward and took his hands the way she had in that throne room. “I love you, Ben Solo. And I hope you love me too.”

His pulse was so loud it was roaring in his ears. “I love you too Rey—” he was so close to saying _Rey Solo_ but he stopped himself before certain humiliation. “You don’t have a last name, do you?” The words spilled from his lips awkwardly, but she didn't seem to notice.

“No, Ben, I do not.”

“I love you, Rey Nolastname, then.”

“For the Supreme Leader, you are something of a dork,” she teased

“Not for much longer,” he said happily.

She rested her cheek against his chest. “You know the plan for Tatooine, correct? It doesn’t change regardless of planet, so everything is the same.”

He nodded. “Yes. We engage in some brief combat for show, end up far from the main action, and _then_. . .” he kissed her forehead, “escape together.”

“Together.” _For real, instead of through a Force dyad._


	8. A New Home

The _Supremacy_ approached Tatooine. Ben felt like a child receiving a birthday present. It was somewhat difficult to maintain his apathetic air. Rey updated him periodically with her small squads’ location. She’d brought ten men with her, so he intended to bring two troopers as an armed guard. With his lightsaber alone he would likely be fine, but Hux was fussy. It got in the way of his actual intentions, but it would be easy to ditch two idiot troopers in the desert if need be.

He was nearly giddy with anticipation. Finally, truly, free. Part of his burden lifted when Snoke died, but the First Order itself was an oppressive weight. Ben decided to comm Hux to, ahem, _inform_ him of important details.

Upon hearing his footsteps in the hall, Ben opened the door with the Force. He slammed it closed just as rapidly and gestured for a now shaking Hux to sit on a small chair.

Ben bound his wrists together with the Force too, then his ankles to the legs of the chair. “Comfortable?” he asked.

“Not particularly,” he said. 

_Nearly forgot._ He closed Hux’s mouth, again with the Force. 

“I am your Supreme Leader,” he began, “and I will absolutely end your miserable leech life without hesitation if you turn out to be a rat.”

The red headed man nodded furiously.

“Perfect. I am a Resistance spy. I am going to Tatooine to escape the First Order. You are my accomplice.” Ben tossed him a comm link. “Wear that clipped to your uniform and put the microphone in your ear. That will be your communication with me. If you do this, you will receive amnesty and a new life outside of the First Order.”

He leaned forward and shook Hux’s shoulder once for emphasis. “Do I make myself abundantly clear?” For sheer dramatic effect he summoned his lightsaber and held it just below the other man’s chin. Another nod.

“As far as you are concerned, this is a kidnapping. Follow my instructions as they come.”

He released the Force restraints.

He scurried away, shaken.

Rey scolded Ben. _That was maybe a bit harsh!_

_He got the message, that’s what matters. He is an absolute sucker for approval from authority figures._

She sighed. _Fine, okay. I’ll see you very soon._

He peered out of his window. Indeed, very very soon. 

Ben stepped out from the transport podship, which had landed near a small trading post. He looked out over the vast expanse of desert that was Tatooine. _I hate sand._

His trooper escort stayed a healthy distance behind him as they began to wander the outdoor markets and stalls. He knew Rey was close, her Force signature was clear. 

One of his troopers pointed out a Resistance uniform on a stall patron. Ben drew his saber. 

“Don’t you know that Resistance scum aren't welcome here?” he snarled. 

The Resistance man snorted. “Could say the same for First Order scum, too.” 

He pulled a blaster from his side and Rey quickly emerged from a storefront. 

Ben hissed through the modulator. “Jedi girl.”

“Kylo,” she sneered.

It all felt somewhat ridiculous, but he couldn’t risk gosspy stormtroopers getting suspicious.

“I've been waiting a while for this.”

The two began to duel as the troopers were overwhelmed, communicating through their bond to maintain a realistic but choreographed fight.

_My men know not to kill your troopers. Simply to stun them and speak of kidnapping the Supreme Leader. Blah blah blah._

_Do you believe we’re far enough away?_

_The ship is close. Perfect, they’re chasing my men. I’ll quickly pretend to knock you out._

She somehow managed a maneuver that, combined with Ben dramatically falling, looked as if he was actually incapacitated. 

She waved over two men to drag the apparently unconscious Ben into the ship. The troopers were blinded by the swirling dust and stumbled backward.

The hatch sealed shut and the ship began to leave Tatooine’s atmosphere. Rey couldn’t help but laugh as he yanked his helmet off. 

“I hate that thing,” he chuckled. 

“Me too.”

“Hey! Get a room!” a new voice shouted. “Absolutely nasty!” There was a playful tone to his words.

Rey stood to sass a man Ben recognized as the pilot. 

_Finn’s boyfriend?_

“You and Finn are far worse!” She answered his question without doing so directly.

“Doesn’t mean I can’t complain,” he replied with a cheeky smile. He pressed some buttons on the ship console and swiveled his chair to face Ben.

“So, this is Kylo Ren, no?”

He flinched at the name. “Force, no. I’m Ben.”

“Well, Ben, I’m Poe Dameron.” He saluted from his sitting position. “Jokes aside, Rey, I think he may want some new clothes. Take him to the personal cabins.” He cocked his head toward a hallway.

Ben peered down at the black gloves still on his hands. As he walked with Rey as a guide, he pulled them off and tossed them in an incinerator. 

She stopped at a larger room at the end of the hall. “They knew you were coming, so they gave me the biggest one.” 

“This feels more like home than my bedroom on _Supremacy_ ever did,” he admitted.

Rey wrinkled her nose. “It was fancy and sleek, but so much black. And chrome.”

“Better get used to me in other colors.”

She dug in a suitcase for a green shirt and grey pants. “Go ahead and, uh, change. There’s a bathroom off to the left, if you’d rather.”

To be fair, he wouldn’t mind changing in front of Rey, but her inability to look at him spoke louder than words.

The shirt was soft but thin. He pulled it over his head and loosely did the tie above the notch in the neckline.

He looked at himself in the mirror once he was done tucking everything in and buttoning the fly of the pants.

“I don’t look half bad in green,” he said, turning off the light and stepping back into the room.

She turned around and her face went deep red. He laughed. “Rey, you’re okay. It’s just me.”

“I know, Ben, that’s very much the point.” She let her fingers dance along his arms and chest. “So strong,” she mumbled. “I do very much like the green.”

“I’m glad.” He kissed her hair, then her forehead, then down to her nose.

“That just tickles.”

He kissed her mouth instead. “Is that any better?”

She just nodded and kissed him again in response.

“Force, Ben,” she breathed. “It’s real.”

He comm’d Hux after eating a few nutrition bars. He was safe, alive, and headed to the Resistance Base. That’s all the general needed to know. Rey yawned loudly. “It’s been a long day.”

“I know,” he said quietly. “I’m going to see my mother tomorrow.”

“Uh huh,” she sighed, clearly drifting off.

Ben set the comm down and and yanked off his shirt. He gently nudged Rey for her to move as he climbed into bed, and let her head fall on his bare chest. 

“G'night Ben.”

“Goodnight, Rey."

Ben awoke to the sound of muffled debate outside his door. Rey was still asleep in his arms, and he gingerly set her down on the mattress. Poe’s voice was clear.

“No, Dameron, it’s your job. I refuse!” another man yelled from a distance.

“Listen, I’m not going in there, Kiran! They definitely slept together and I don’t want to traumatize myself any furth—”

Ben opened the door, leaning against the frame. “I’m up, Poe. Calm down. She’s still out.”

The pilot shook his head. “Let our Jedi princess sleep in for a while. Come on, we’re almost to D’Qar.” 

He stumbled into the cockpit, still unsteady from the haze of sleep. “How early did you wake up?”

“Oh, I don’t even know,” Poe said. “I comm’d Finn last night for a while.”

“Yes, Finn.”

Poe made a face. “How do you know about him?"

“Rey told me. Apparently, she, uh, thought I was jealous of him for rooming with her.”

The shorter man held in his laughter. “Finn doesn’t like girls. Thank the stars for that, I got lucky.” There was a soft shine to his eyes when he talked about his boyfriend. “You got lucky too, Solo, don’t forget it.”

“I can't forget it. She means the galaxy to me, Poe. She was there for me when no one else was and I will forever be grateful.”

“Okay, that was almost painfully romantic, slow your roll. It’s barely 800 hours.”

“Did she tell you what . . . what happened, or was it just a good guess?”

Poe snorted. “She did tell me, but from the way you look at her a blind Wookie could have figured it out.”

“Figure out what?” Rey’s bleary voice called out.

“Oh, nothing, just talking about Loverboy Solo,” Dameron replied.

“I just escaped one nickname, why do I suddenly have another?” Ben groaned. Rey just giggled.

“Rey, could ya go wake up the boys? We’re landing soon.”

The brunette yawned before padding back down the hall.

“I’m far from a loverboy,” Ben said under his breath. 

“Whatever you need to tell yourself.”

It has been years. Seven, nearly eight years, actually.

Benjamin Bail ‘Nervous Wreck’ Organa-Solo sat in Rey’s apartment on-base. His leg was bouncing aggressively and his mouth was set in a hard line. What does one even do when seeing their mother for the first time in nearly a decade? Especially when you spent those years as her enemy and believing she hated you?

“Fuck,” he said aloud. _I haven't properly cursed in a while but this is an appropriate situation._

Rey was busy coordinating something-or-other that she explained, but Ben wasn’t fully listening. His mind was far, far away from X-wing repairs and meetings.

His commlink had a message. Hux. “The kidnapping cover is working, the troopers were bewildered and spreading the story. We're 'attempting to gather intelligence’ now. Will update. A.H.,” he read aloud.

A loud knock interrupted him.

Rey stood there. “Leia wants to see you.”

He swallowed hard. “Okay. Let’s go.”

A woman dressed in mauve with her grey hair in a neat, ornate bun stood in front of a console. Rey tapped on the doorframe.

“General Organa?”

Leia turned around. “Rey,” she said, smiling.

“I brought Ben with me.”

He shyly stepped forward into the room.

“Son.”

“Mom.” He wrapped his arms around her tenderly.

“I cannot tell you how good it is to see you again. Your father and I, we, we were so worried. I was so concerned for your safety,” she said, pulling back.

Upon seeing the very faint scar on his face she gasped and scolded him lightly, “Benjamin Bail! How did you get this?”

He chuckled. “Fighting off Snoke’s guard. It’s okay, Mom, I promise.”

Leia harrumphed loudly. “As a mother there is nothing worse than seeing your child hurt. But you are alive, and well, and safe. That is all I could possibly ask for.”

“As much as I don’t want to steal your son again,” Rey interrupted, “he is a very popular man on base.”

The older woman gave a knowing smile. “Of course. Be on your way.”

Ben hesitantly took Rey’s hand as they left. “Who else was asking about me?”

“How could you forget? Your uncle Luke is here,” she replied. “He came back from Ach-to with me.”

She stopped to punch an access code in. “He’s been helping Poe with the X-wings since he used to fly them.”

They entered a spacious hangar bustling with pilots. Men and women in orange jumpsuits were busy working on ships or chatting in small groups.

A few people glared or whispered indelicately as Ben weaved through the crowd. 

_Ignore them_ , Rey told him.

He tried to focus on the floor or the walls or their hands together rather than the gossip. 

“Rey! There you are!”

He looked up to see his bearded uncle. 

Luke turned his attention to Ben with teary eyes. “My dear nephew. You’re back home,” he said affectionately with a quick hug. “You’ve grown so much! Or maybe I’m just short.”

“That’s our Ben, basically Wookie sized,” Poe joked.

Chewie must have heard the pilot's comment from behind the fighter ship and growled in offense. 

“Never mind him, he’s been a bit of a grump since Han passed,” Luke said. “Don’t worry Chewie, you’re still the biggest.”

“Force, Dad only taught me the swear words in Shyriiwook and that sentence used all of them,” Ben laughed.

“That was a bit rude,” Rey chastised. Chewbacca grumbled sadly.

“He’s sorry,” she translated. 

“Good, as he should be,” he said.

“Listen, I’m sure you’ve got things to do, but if you ever want to spar like the good old days, come by my apartments,” Luke said, resting a hand on his nephew’s shoulder. “I may be an old man but it should at least be fun.”

Ben smiled. “I’ll take you up on that.”

Poe shooed them away dramatically. “Go on, lovebirds, we got stuff to do over here! Very important, no distractions!” he called out.

“You look so happy,” Rey commented, folding clothes into her drawers. 

“I am happy,” he replied, sitting transfixed on the bed. “I feel so at peace.”

“Oh, before I forget,” she said, finishing a stack. She sat on the floor in front of him. “We can either have separate apartments, or I can move out of mine and Finn’s and we can—”

“Live together?” he finished.

“Well, yes, but then Finn and Poe could live together too. A win-win, I think.”

He kissed her head. “Yes. Absolutely.”

Rey beamed in response and threw Ben a key from her pocket. “That’s your–our key. 56B.”

“I’ll take your stuff, you take the key.”

Less than an hour later, they had settled their few possessions into what was originally supposed to be Ben’s single apartment. 

“We really don't have much,” Rey observed.

He shrugged. “I can’t say I mind.”

“Tomorrow we can get you some more clothes. I love the green and all, but you can’t wear it for weeks on end.”

Ben grinned. “Now you _love_ the green. I see.”

“Oh, be quiet!” She playfully punched him in retaliation.

He faked being mortally wounded and howled like Chewie. “My arm’s probably broken because of you!”

Rey just gazed at him with twinkling eyes. “I’m so lucky, Ben. I would have never guessed I'd ever be in this position.”

“If you told me five years ago that I'd be with a woman like you, much less a _Jedi_ like you, I would have died of laughter,” Ben admitted. “Kriff, if you told me any time before now I’d have assumed it was a joke.”

“I’m not a Jedi,” Rey clarified. “But I do promise that this is not a joke.”

“Thank the Force.”

“Quite literally. I suppose it knew something we didn’t.”

“Remind me to comm Hux again later, I need to make sure everything is fine back on the Supremacy. I worry about my Knights becoming suspicious of my whereabouts.”

She frowned. “Aren't they loyal to you and not the Order?”

“Well, yes, but a few of them are particularly . . . power hungry, to say the least. If there is a problem, I’ll assist him to figure it out.”

Rey kissed his forehead. “Good. I need to go, but I’ll see you at dinner.”

“I think I’ll spar with Luke,” Ben commented absentmindedly. 

“Just don’t get hurt!” she yelled, further down the hall.

  
  


Ben took his saber, which felt so completely foreign in his hands now, and left the apartments. Like opened the door cheerfully for him, and told him to wait while he got his lightsaber so they could walk together to the training gym.

“This one is smaller than the one on the _Supremacy_ ,” Ben said. 

“Is that so?” Luke mused. “It’s been a long time since I’ve used a training room to be fair.”

The younger man turned on his lightsaber and pondered the steady glow. “This saber doesn’t feel like me,” he said abruptly. “Not anymore at least.”

“That’s a very good thing, Ben. We’ll have to find you a new kyber crystal soon then. You can go with Rey, she’s been meaning to make her own saber instead of my old one for a while.”

“She’s so strong in the Force,” Ben said, shaking his head. “I'm not surprised that she wants her own connection with a kyber crystal.”

“It truly changes everything. Your fighting may feel different for now, given your lack of connection to your saber.”

The dark-haired man reflected on the duel in Snoke’s throne room. “To be fair, the last time I fought was a blur. I felt calmer than usual but it was just—very intense.”

Luke nodded sagely. “I understand. We’ll see today.”

The familiar green of his uncle’s saber appeared.

“Let’s go, old man.”

Rey came into the room and stood surprised. “How long have you two been sparring?” she asked.

Ben rested his hands on his knees and paused for a moment. “I’m not entirely sure. There’s no way to tell time here.”

“It’s nearly time for dinner, so clean yourselves up,” she said, waving her arm at the two sweaty men.

“We're not exactly clean, are we,” Ben laughed. 

“It was good to see you, but go shower, please.”

Ben joined Rey in the dining hall a half hour later with damp hair. “I found some other clothes,” he said, setting his food down beside hers.

“Oh, good. I suppose they put some in your room.”

His commlink buzzed. " _Kriffkriffkriff_ ," he mumbled. “Hux, it’s Hux, I forgot.”

He hurried out of the room to an empty hallway. The message read, “Kylo, where are you? The _Supremacy_ is near Mustafar.”

Ben cursed. _Mustafar_. Their predetermined code word, specifically meaning the sender had been forced to send the message.

_The Knights. Forget food, I have bigger problems to worry about._

_Rey, bad news._

She rushed over from her table. “Ben, what’s wrong?”

“Hux is being held hostage by my Knights.”

Another commlink came through.

“The banthas are coming,” he read aloud.

Rey wrinkled her nose. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means the Supremacy is coming. Here, to D’Qar.”

“We need to talk to Leia.”

Rey knew where her quarters were and ran down a maze of hallways to find her. The dignified woman looked alarmed at her frenzy.

“Rey? What’s wrong?” she asked, opening the door wider to let them both in.

“Ben knows.”

“Hux, my second-in-command, another spy,” he said between gasps, “has been held hostage by the Knights of Ren. They know where I am.”

“Is he disloyal?” Leia asked.

“No. They likely stole his comm and read the messages.”

She sat back. “Then I assume we need to prepare for an attack.”

“That is a good assumption. I’m assuming the Knights are monitoring his comms and he could only send those few. More likely than not, he’s dictating them and not physically in control,” Ben said, clasping his hands.

Rey looked between the mother and son. “So, what’s our plan? Barricade? Bunker down? Evacuate?”

Leia laughed. “The Resistance does not run from a battle. To be specific, I don’t run from a battle.”

“Then we fight. I don’t know how far away they are, but they likely left Tatooine and are some distance from here. Likely a few days to a week, at most,” Ben said.

“It’s better than nothing,” his mother sighed. “Thank you for letting me know.”

They left and walked back to their apartment in relative silence before Ben broke it. 

“The next time I fight—for real, that is, not sparring, I want a new saber. The red isn’t me anymore. It feels different in my hands now.”

“Using Luke’s old lightsaber is an honor of course, but the kyber crystal isn't mine in the same way. It called out to me with the Force, but it’s not meant to be my weapon forever,” Rey agreed.

“Where's the nearest crystal deposit?” he asked.

“I'm not entirely sure, Ilum is the most notorious source. Luke had or has, maybe, a list. It needs to be a Resistance-safe planet.”

“There’s a library on base, correct?” 

“Found it,” Ben called over his shoulder. They’d been digging in the small library for a while now. “It’s Jedi, I recognize the symbols. There’s a planet called Lothal, in the Outer Rim.”

“How far from D’Qar?”

He squinted in the dim light. “Less than a day.”

“Tomorrow then?” 

“Yes. I’ll ask Luke to find parts for us. Poe can help too.” He tucked the book under his arm. 

“The question is if it’s safe.”

“According to this, there used to be a Jedi temple on-world. If it’s not, we can bring our old sabers as back up,” he shrugged.

Rey parted from him to ask Poe to reserve them a ship for the next day. Something small, but not a fighter like the X-wings that would attract attention.

For the second night they slept in each other's arms. 

She stirred first. “I’m going to get the ship going. Come as soon as you wake up.”

They prepared a small stash of food once Ben woke up and filled the ship’s fuel tanks. Poe clearly wasn’t happy about waking up that early, but he reluctantly helped them anyway.

“Who’s piloting, then?” Dameron asked.

“I can,” Ben offered. “My dad showed me enough as a kid on the Falcon to handle most ships.”

“If you think you can handle it.”

“I’ll do just fine.”

Rey rolled her eyes walking behind them. “Cool it, you two. No bickering. Come on, Ben, we should get moving.”

“Coming!”

As Ben piloted, Rey looked over a box of scrap materials Poe had given them to make their saber hilts.

“This should be enough, I think.”

He grunted in approval. “I can keep this baby on autopilot for a while,” he said, standing from his seat. 

“I’m so nervous,” Rey said. “I don’t know what color it’ll be or if we’ll even find crystals. I'm not even sure how to do any of it.”

“Did Luke explain a little?”

She shook her head. “No.”

“You essentially focus your energy with the Force toward the crystal. Your particular energy fuels the color.”

“I suppose that makes sense. I’ve only ever seen blue, green, or red. Luke told me of an old master who had a purple saber.”

“We’ll see what we end up with,” he said, kissing her quickly. 

He landed the ship with ease and helped her out.

“Now, according to the map of Lothal, there should be a deposit of kyber crystals in this direction. Not far.”

As Ben and Rey got closer, the dull gleam of the crystals became brighter. 

“I'll go first, okay?”

He gently cut a chunk of crystal away from the rock. He levitated it above his hand and closed his eyes to focus.

He thought of Rey, the light side of the Force flowing through him. It was an unusual feeling, one he hadn’t experienced in years, but it warmed his entire body. 

He heard a soft gasp. “Ben, I think you did it.”

The man opened his eyes cautiously to see a pale yellow crystal in his palm. “Yellow,” he breathed. “Your turn.”

Rey broke off her crystal from the same place as Ben. She took a shaky breath and levitated the crystal in the same manner. 

“Rey,” Ben whispered after a beat. “Open your eyes now.”

“Yellow!” she said. “They’re both yellow.”

“Force, I love you.”


	9. Brave Coward

They decided to keep their handles a secret from each other until they were done.

“1, 2, 3!” Rey counted. They eagerly pulled their hilts out from behind their backs and swapped them to observe.

“I like this a lot,” Ben said, running his hand over the textured handle.

“I should have known you’d do black.”

“Hey, just because I’m not Supreme Leader anymore doesn’t mean I can’t like black.”

“Do you want to activate yours?” Rey asked. She drew her crystal from her pocket and carefully nudged it inside. A golden yellow blade emerged. He did the same.

“It’s beautiful. And it’s mine.”

“They’re ours,” Ben added.

“I do dislike that we’re only making them now to prepare for a massive battle.”

“I understand that. I wish we could just enjoy it.”

“Soon,” she assured him. “I know I keep saying it, but soon, Ben.”

“It feels so good to be connected with the light side again,” he said, pondering his saber. “Holding the red one after realizing what Snoke did to me . . . it felt like I was still carrying that weight.”

Rey cautiously turned off both their savers and hugged him. “It’s off your shoulders now. He is dead, and so is Kylo Ren.”

“Maybe we should bury my old saber then,” he joked. “Or possibly just destroy it.”

Rey considered the idea. “Sounds like fun to me.”

The two settled on throwing it into a fire, like a traditional Jedi funeral. Problem was, a fire wouldn’t melt the hilt completely. They decided to compromise by using the smithery fires on the base, which normally functioned to recycle scrap metal. 

Ben fished out his old kyber crystal before chucking the handle into the glowing, viscous mix. Rey examined it curiously.

“Why is it cracked?” she asked.

“I poured so much hatred into this,” he said seriously. “Years of feeling alone and neglected. The frustration at feeling like I was never enough for anyone in my life.”

Rey let her hand find his in the space between them.

“That’s why the blade looked like that. Those jagged, uneven edges. I was almost proud of myself for having so much negative emotion that the crystal nearly gave up.”

“Then why not let it burn with every other part?” There was no anger or frustration in her voice, only a gentle curiosity and desire to know.

“Because it reminds me of who I once was, to be honest. The one who embraced being broken and let it consume him.” He sighed, turning the piece in his hand. “The new crystal is who I am now, but I cannot afford to forget.”

“Regardless, you are always my Ben.”

“And I could not be more grateful.”

The next few days were a blurry haze of preparations. Ship repairs, recruitment, weapon stock checks, a thousand things to be done, and Rey was tragically involved in most of them. Leia had given her several responsibilities as it seemed, and while Ben was immensely proud of her capacity, their only time together was during the night. He missed her.

 _I miss you, scavenger,_ he’d tease.

 _I miss you more, Supreme Leader._ _Also, your mother wants to have dinner with you. Tonight, in her rooms._

 _Any special occasion?_ Ben panicked for a second, trying to remember if he had somehow forgotten his mother's birthday and was mortified at the very thought.

_No, not one she mentioned. I think she just wants time with you._

_I promise I’ll be back at our apartments as soon as possible._

_I know you will. Be at her rooms at 1800 hours precisely._

  
  


Ben showered and dressed himself in a black jacket and white shirt he believed Rey had gotten for him. He secretly wished it was all green and yellow and maybe blue. _I have plenty of time to ask for colorful clothes later_.

Leia greeted him at the door. “Come in, Ben. I specifically asked for your favorite, bantha steak.”

He had to control himself to keep his mouth from watering. Even with the First Order’s abundance, his meals were boring and occasionally draining to eat. Only on rare occasions was there anything slightly richer than protein porridge.

“Got to feed my growing boy properly,” she said with a glint in her eye.

“Mom, I am nearly 30,” he corrected. 

“You’re still my boy,” she countered. Her “mom look”, cultivated from years of diplomatic princess/general work and taming Han’s wild sensibilities, was extremely effective.

The food arrived quickly once they sat down, the rich smell of cooked meat and Correlian vegetables filling the cozy space. 

“Forgive my choice of side, I’ve been missing your father lately.”

“You know how I feel about nu-carrots, but I’ll allow it.”

They had relatively light conversation over the meal given their circumstances. Leia inquired further as to his scar, why his hair “looked more and more like Chewie’s”, and his new saber.

“I’ve never seen a yellow blade before,” she said, impressed. 

“I didn’t know such a thing was possible myself,” he said. He unhooked it from his side, having added a small device to keep it attached to belt loops, and allowed her to turn it on. Her Force signature buzzed with approval.

“Incredible. I wish I could have had the same opportunity to train my ability in the Force, but duty called. Luke has helped me here and there, but nothing more formal or having to do with actual combat.” There was a wistful, nostalgic tone to her words that tugged at Ben’s chest.

“I’m sorry you didn't get to develop your sensitivity. You’re still one of the most intense Force-users I’ve met.”

She laughed heartily. “I do a good job covering it. It is truly fascinating what people will think about, assuming that no one connected with the Force is in the room. The fools let their guard down so quickly.”

His mother paused to take a bite of some green, leafy thing.

“Speaking of, when are you going to ask Rey to marry you?”

Ben blanched and nearly choked on his water. “Uh, w-what?” he stammered.

“You heard what I said. When are you going to ask her to marry you?” she repeated.

“Well,” he said, “I have been considering it, to say the least.”

“Yes, Ben, I know that,” she said bluntly. “She’s an incredible young woman, son.”

“She is beyond incredible, Mom. Her patience amazes me, and she’s so strong, to the point where she scares me sometimes, but she makes me feel so safe. So loved.” His eyes glazed over thinking of her while he spoke.

“You love her so much. You deserve to be happy, Ben.” Leia reached for his hand across the table and rested hers on top. “And she loves you too. There’s truly nothing to lose.” 

Ben felt absolutely ridiculous. He was a grown man for the sake of the Force, and yet he was frozen with terror at the concept of asking Rey to be his wife. _Wife. Wife is a strange word._ “I feel so stupid,” he confessed. 

“Why stupid?”

“I’m scared, Mom, to tell the truth. I want to give her everything she deserves, but these circumstances aren't ideal. A ring, of course, Alderaanian tradition, and a good-size wedding at least, a place to call our own, some stability, it goes on and on,” he rambled.

“She won’t care. Your father was an unstable smuggler who gave me a ring made from a replacement bolt! I loved your father with everything I had and I will always love him that way. It didn’t matter what he could give me.”

He took a few deep breaths. “I still want a ring. Just to have something as a symbol of our connection.”

“Oh please, you’re just as possessive as Han was,” Leia said.

“Something in me is very satisfied at the idea of her wearing a ring from me,” he agreed.

“Talk to someone at the smithery. They’ll be able to help.”

“Thank you.” He made to leave and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Anytime, Ben.”

He did break his promise to Rey to get back as soon as possible, because he stopped by the smithery to commission a surprise.

  
  


The momentary bubble of happiness was broken by a sobering announcement. A radar tech detected several small satellite ships and the _Supremacy_ itself in D’Qar’s atmosphere. Ben’s hand kept flicking over to his saber instinctively as he patrolled the base. 

Nothing had landed yet. But he knew his Knights were likely furious, and he knew their power. _I do have Rey. And Luke._

He was twitchy and anxious, which only increased when Rey was out of his sight. Ben didn’t want to follow her around and impede her tasks, but he would’ve preferred to personally make sure she was safe.

_She’s perfectly capable of protecting herself of course, I just—I love her and anyone who hurts her is getting the mean end of my saber._

Leia had already sent footsoldiers and a few sharp shooters out ahead of the base. The pilots all looked on edge, hovering by their assigned ships in order to be ready at a moment’s notice. Everyone was uneasy.

A P.A. system abruptly announced, “They’ve begun to fire, deploy pilots.” There was a quick rush of departures and frantic goodbyes, then silence. Ben’s pulse prickled against his fingertips. His grip on his lightsaber was firm enough to hurt. Any attempt to relax was short lived. 

Off in the distance, he watched, transfixed, as a small craft landed on D’Qar. He drew his saber, the buzz a comforting sensation now.

He was ready. He waited, watching debris fall from the sky and crash onto the planet’s thick forest. The hair on the back of his neck stood up from the sheer power of the approaching Force signatures.

 _You feel that too?_ Rey suddenly said.

_Yes. The Knights._

_I’m coming to the hangar. We’re facing them together._


	10. Storm Before the Calm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it do kinda be my birthday doe

“You’re a traitor, Kylo!” Myrin shouted. 

Ben winced hearing his former name but stayed silent. Rey visibly fought the urge to spit in her face.

“We should have known you’d be seduced by this desert rat. She’s tricked you well,” T’Arn said scornfully.

All six drew their sabers in succession. All deep, bloody red. 

“Our difference in power is so clear, Kylo,” T’Arn continued. “A  _ yellow  _ saber?” He laughed darkly.

“The traitor and the rebel whore match,” Gion scowled.

At the words “rebel whore”, Ben had every intention of running the Togruta knight through on the spot. Rey soothed him through their bond, reigning in his impulsivity. 

The clash was immediate and loud. 

_ If we can handle Snoke’s guard, we can take this,  _ he assured her.

Rey swung at Gion, singeing her robe. They consciously attempted to take three each and keep it balanced, but the Knights chose to alternate focus between the two. 

Ben was obviously preoccupied, what with the would-be fatal duel at hand, but he felt a sense of peace in his mind. Every movement of his saber felt like a natural extension of his arm instead of a belabored effort. 

The fight shifted further back into the hangar. In the chaos, he made a mental count of the Knights. Gion was unconscious or possibly dead, T’Arn was clashing with Rey at the moment, aided by Hareah. Ben took on Srian and—

_ Five, five, only five? _

A deep laugh echoed through the hangar. Everyone, including the Knights, turned toward the noise. 

“You have a choice to make,” Myrin announced. The blue skinned humanoid held Leia by the hair. “Between your mother and the rebel whore.”

Ben turned to see Rey in a chokehold, T’Arn’s thick arm pressing against her throat and his other hand waving his saber in front of her face.

His previous calm collapsed into panic. His anger and fear surged up. He stood frozen with indecision, trying to figure out how to save both.

Leia made pleading eye contact with her son. She lifted her chin as much as she could toward Rey, who was clawing at the Knight.

Ben spun toward T’Arn and slashed his hand. The man shrieked in pain. Rey scrambled for her saber and cut the hand off cleanly. 

With the threat to Rey gone, he turned to see Myrin cackling. “So, you’ve made your choice.”

The red of his saber brushed across Leia’s neck, who somehow still managed to look dignified as she closed her eyes, seemingly at peace. 

Chewie roared from behind the Knight and hit him solidly over the head with his blaster. The saber clattered to the floor, useless.

He growled.

“That means “I’ve already lost Han.”, Rey explained to Ben. 

“He’s alive,” Ben said, kneeling to take the man’s pulse. “Thank the Force, he’ll see justice.”

Three other Resistance soldiers had taken hold of the other Knights, and two were carrying Gion, who was barely waking up.

“Are you okay?” he asked Rey.

“I’m fine, Ben, I promise. The saber didn’t touch me.”

He quickly looked over her. “No bruises? No burns or scrapes? His hands were digging pretty hard into your arm.”

She waved his concern away. “I swear to you, I’m perfectly fine. Check on your mother.”

Leia appeared to be alright, although limping slightly. 

“Did Myrin hurt you?”

“Aside from this on my leg, I’m alright,” she gestured to her blood-soaked pant leg. “He slashed at it to keep me from running.”

“Here, I’ll help you to the med bay.” It was an offer but Ben wouldn't take a refusal. He eased her into his arms and shouted into the thicket, “General is wounded, coming through!”

He dropped her off despite her characteristic protests. He promised to visit her as soon as he could.

He returned to his apartment relieved but exhausted. He'd given particular instructions to the guards of the holding cells to fit the Knights with Force blocking cuffs, and to take Hux to his own apartment instead of the jail. The troopers would be held on the  _ Supremacy  _ for the time being.

Rey was cleaning her saber hilt with a damp cloth. “I could have handled myself,” she began, in reference to T’Arn holding her captive. 

“First of all, under normal circumstances I don’t doubt that, but he’s a practiced dark side user. And massive.”

Rey scoffed. “But—”

“Besides, Leia signaled for me to save you. Well, for me to save you  _ first _ at least.”

“She did?”

“Of course, Rey. She loves you like the daughter she never had. She’s more than willing to die for the cause of the Resistance.” He recalled his appointment at the smithery and made a quick excuse to leave.

“I have to . . . do something. I’ll be back, I promise.”

  
  


Ben looked at the band, fascinated. He’d had to guess at the ring size, since asking would give his intent away. If there was a problem, she could ask the smith. 

The broken chunk of his old kyber crystal fit the prongs perfectly, though there was one more step he had to take before it was finished. 

Setting the band aside, he focused on the crystal in the same way as he had on Lothal. He had never heard of someone doing this before, he had no clue of the result, but he wanted to try. He waited for longer than he believed necessary, just to make sure.

The crystal was purple.  _ Like Windu’s _ , he thought with a smile.  _ I don't know if she  _ likes _ purple _ .

_ Hopefully she does _ . He rose to give the two pieces back to the smith.

He’d pick it up the next morning after breakfast. Then came the question of the timing. He would find a place, maybe in the gardens, if he liked them enough. There should be a brief respite between the chaos and the beginning of the trials.

Ben decided to visit his mother in the meantime before dropping by the smithery.

_ Rey. I’m gonna go see Leia. I’ll see you at dinner.  _

He checked into the med bay as a visitor and wandered into the hall. A nurse asked him where he was supposed to be and led him to Leia’s private room.

She smiled at him from her bed. “Hello, Ben.”

“Hi Mom,” he said softly. “Are you feeling okay?”

“The bleeding has stopped and they’re giving me what little of the pain meds we have. I’m doing just fine.”

“Good. I—I have a ring. For Rey. It’s not complete yet but—” he fumbled for it in his pocket. “There.”

“It’s my old kyber crystal. The one that broke,” he explained. “I put light side energy into it, mostly my love for her, and it turned purple.”

“It's perfect, Ben. I’m proud of you.”

“I hope she likes it. I really do.”

“What did I tell you? Spare bolt!” she exclaimed. “Now get back to her and propose once that thing is finished. If anyone’s going to be Princess of Alderaan, it should be her.”

  
  


Rey wasn’t at dinner, so Ben returned to their apartment and paced. The smith had fixed the crystal into the prongs faster than expected and he could physically  _ feel _ the thing burning a hole through his pants. 

He tried to sit down to calm his nervousness, but his leg started bouncing so aggressively he was sure it would knock boulders loose. He had no reason to be afraid—Rey loved him, he knew that. It was the anticipation that was gnawing at his ribcage.

Ben nearly had a heart attack from relief when she opened the door. “Sorry,” she said absentmindedly, “I got caught up studying some old texts with Luke so we took dinner in his apartments and I  _ completely  _ lost track of time.”

He ran his hand down her arm. “It’s okay, that’s okay. My mom is doing well.”

“That’s wonderful,” she said. “Oh, have you told your family about us, by any chance?”

He shook his head. “I haven't needed to do any telling. They seem to just know. Was Luke asking you about it?”

“Yes, yes he was.” She laughed. “He told me all sorts of stories from when you were a padawan.”

Ben went red and tried to change the subject at the idea of his embarrassing padawan days. “I was a very awkward kid, to say the least.”

“I love your family,” Rey said, offhand.

_ This is the opening. Do it, Solo. _

“On that subject, actually . . .” He knelt and chose to take the ring out now, having no box or container.

“Rey, you are my family, in almost every way possible. You are a literal light in my life. Genuinely, you make me the happiest man in the galaxy. I could do anything with you by my side. Please, will you marry me?”

She was choking back tears and nodded furiously. Ben feigned confusion. “Yes or no? I can’t hear anything!”

“Yes, of course YES, Ben, you idiot!”

She tackle-hugged him crying and they kissed, almost forgetting the event. Ben pulled away to slip the ring on her left hand.  _ Oh thank the Force, it fits. _

“I wasn’t even paying attention to the ring but I adore it,” she said, watching the light play on the crystal. “Is that—”

“Yes, my old crystal. Purified with the light side.”

“Here I was thinking you’d never ask,” she teased.

“I was thinking about it, but Mom shoved me in that direction. She really does like you, Rey.”

“That woman is a genius,” Rey declared. She kissed him again.

“You’re going to be my  _ wife _ .” Ben physically couldn’t stop smiling.

“You’re going to be my  _ husband _ .

“You’ll also technically be a princess,” he added.

“Oh Force, I’d almost forgotten about that.”


	11. Moonlight

For the next week Rey did nothing but show other women on the base her ring and squeal over wedding plans with Leia. She looked overjoyed, but the preening and gossip of the women scared Ben a little, so he mostly stayed away. He understood maybe half of their conversations, which mostly consisted of words like ‘ambiance’ and ‘chiffon’.

However, Leia’s time was split between excited planning and presiding over war trials. The Knights had mostly been sentenced to banishment and being stripped of their lightsabers. It was generally against Resistance codes to sentence criminals to death, but Ben resisted the powerful urge to kill Myrin personally. A few generals would serve community service trials doing manual labor. 

He testified at Hux’s trial, who looked relieved to have someone come to his defense. He was a regular member of the Resistance now, and talked to a mechanic named Rose Tico during meals.

The question of what to do with the stormtroopers was a messy one. It was day three of the trial.

“When I was a stormtrooper, I didn't understand what I was doing,” Finn began. “I only knew the First Order. I was kidnapped from my true family and raised to kill. I was expendable.”

He took a shaking breath. “I only fought because I had no other choice. I had no identity, no connections, and no money. I was referred to as a serial number. These men deserve the same chance that I had to obtain myself.”

Polite applause followed. Poe kissed Finn on the forehead once he sat down and wiped away a falling tear.

Rey stood. “I too, was an orphan—I was abandoned on Jakku as a child. I have no idea who my parents are, and I felt so lost for so much of my life. I longed to know. Now I don't care who they were. I have a new family, a new home, and a life I never expected to have,” she continued. “I feel the burden of these men. Not in the same way as Finn, but I understand the desire to be loved and build a life for yourself. They themselves were pawns in a greater game and should not be held responsible.”

Leia looked over at her from her podium, eyes shining.

The tribunal murmured for several moments. “We have decided the troopers shall face the same fate as Armitage Hux,” a thin, grey haired man announced. “They shall receive names and apartments within the next month.”

Rey squeezed Ben’s hand tight.

“You're very good at that,” he told her as they left.

“At what exactly?”

“Public speaking. The testimony. You should really—”

“Ben, dear, may I speak to Rey for a moment?” Leia tapped his fiancée on the shoulder.

He bowed out so they could talk alone.

“So, what did Mom ask you about?”

Rey shifted her head on Ben’s chest so they could make eye contact. “Promise you’ll keep it secret?”

“Of course, what is it?”

“She wants to retire,” she sighed, “and she wants me to become General.”

“Rey, that’s incredible news,” he said, sitting up. “You sound so nervous.”

“It’s _such_ a prestigious position and to take it over from Leia? Of all people? It’s petrifying!”

“Calm down, calm down, Rey. She trusts you. I trust you. You can do this,” he said soothingly. “You are more than capable of this. You're capable of anything you want to do.”

She looked down instead of meeting his eyes.

“Do you want to do this?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “Deep down, I really do. I want to help people, Ben, people like me. I think being General is the best way to do that.”

He kissed her forehead. “You’ll be incredible, Rey. Now go to sleep.”

  
  


Leia and Rey spent more time together. They discussed fabric swatches, place settings, floral arrangements, location—Ben had always just assumed it would be on D’Qar, on base—the matter of a bridal party, cake flavors, and numerous other minuscule details he had never even considered in his life. She would occasionally babble out of nervous energy and excitement, so he’d play the role of “supportive but mildly confused listener” for a while until she ran out of steam. The reality of Rey becoming his wife was beyond worth it.

People on base had warmed up to him now, too. The ring on his fiancée’s finger seemed to prove that he had changed for the better. _Maybe it was Finn and Poe threatening to beat up anyone who breathed a bad word about me._ He chose to believe the former. Nevertheless, he was grateful for his somewhat aggressive bodyguards. He hadn’t really asked for the couple to defend him—to be fully honest, Ben cared little what other people thought of him after letting it be a burden for so long, but there was something nice about being protected.

He’d begun mediation again. It was his least favorite part about Padawan training, always having preferred the physical aspect of things, but now he enjoyed it. Now with dozens of troopers on base, it was slightly more difficult to be alone, so Ben had to hunt for isolated spots. He found a particularly nice one under a large tree in the back garden. 

Normally he fell into a peaceful state within minutes. Something in the Force was tugging on his mind. He thought Rey needed him, but usually she would send a message directly. He scanned the area for a distinct Force signature, in case his mother or Luke were nearby and activating his senses. He shook his head and closed his eyes again. _It’s not typically so difficult to clear my head_ , he thought.

He heard a chuckle from in front of him. “Ben.” 

It was a male voice, unfamiliar, and he opened his eyes.

A tall, brown haired man stood before him. His skin was tan, his Jedi robes were shades of black and deep maroon, and his eyes were lively. A healed scar ran from above his brow to his cheekbone. His image was faded and translucent. 

“ _Anakin,_ ” he said in wonderment. “Grandfather?”

“Yes, indeed I am, though I believe this version of me is younger than you are,” he said. “Having an engaged grandson is more than enough to make me feel my age.”

“You know about Rey?” Ben asked.

His grandfather smiled, a sly, cheeky grin of a young man. “Of course I do. I’m proud of you, she’s beautiful and strong in the Force. She reminds me of your grandmother.” Anakin’s eyes watered a little at that.

“Dad compared her to Leia, he said nearly the same thing, too.” He glanced down at the soil, briefly feeling the loss of his father deeper than he had previously. “I suppose it’s just the Skywalker-Solo men.”

He saw the Jedi’s face darken. “Han,” he mused. “He was a good man. Had I met him while alive, I’m not sure I would have approved. I don't think Leia would have listened regardless.”

Ben smiled sadly. “Mom knew what she wanted. As much as they fought or got upset, at the end of the day they always fixed it.” He thought for a moment and looked up hopefully. 

“Is he a Force ghost too?”

Anakin shook his head. “Han wasn’t Force sensitive, as you know. I’m sorry, Ben.”

“It’s okay,” he reassured his grandfather. “Mom told me herself that he never liked the idea of it. Said that when death got him, it should be a permanent thing. He wanted his rest.”

“I’ve been waiting a long time to see you in particular, grandson.”

Ben squinted. “Why?”

“You thought for years that you were making me proud. All you did was fulfill the destiny I wished against. I believed you had been lost to the dark side, as I had been,” Anakin said. His eyes welled with tears again. “I was so scared, Benjamin. I wanted to appear to you, tell you this was not what I wanted, but I feared it would only cement you in your conviction, however wrong it was.”

“I cannot express my regret more. I was misled, tricked by Snoke and his deception, and sought a connection with a part of you that no longer exists. I wanted to have a member of my family at a time when I felt in exile. Alone.” He winced at the memories and the guilt that weighed on him, even then.

“My dear grandson,” the other man said, gently placing his hand on Ben’s knee. “You have never been alone. I intend to be as present in your life from now on as you would like me to be. I do promise to leave you and Rey alone at critical moments. I would like to witness my great-grandchildren, after all.” 

There was an underlying innuendo to his words that made Ben deeply uncomfortable. Yet, something in him stirred warmly at the concept of children. 

“I hope you keep that promise, grandfather,” Ben scolded in a mocking tone. 

Anakin laughed, the twinkle in his eye intensifying. He was reminded of his uncle’s own eyes. The resemblance between the two was clear now. “I’ll leave you to your meditation now. I do apologize for disrupting your focus.” His tone made it clear he was not truly sorry in the slightest. With that, his figure simply disappeared.

_I don't think I could mediate now if I tried._

  
  


“Mother? Leia?” Ben called into the open doorway.

“Come in, come in, I’m just looking at things for the wedding,” she replied, closing a massive binder.

“Grandfather—Anakin. He came to me. We spoke, briefly, but—he, he,” the dark haired man stuttered, still somewhat in shock. “He said he was proud of me. He said he’d always wanted to talk to me but when I was—” he stopped himself before saying “Kylo Ren”, since the name made him nauseous now, “involved in the dark side, he was too worried that I'd take it as a sign of his approval.”

Leia smiled. “He was pacing the room panicking about you as often as Han and I. He hated to see his own pattern repeated. Oftentimes Obi Wan would need to appear just to calm him down for a moment.”

“Wasn’t I named for him?”

“Yes. I’m sure he’ll make an effort to introduce himself soon enough,” she said, waving her hand. “As happy as I am for you, I need to make several hard decisions regarding centerpieces. Would you like to give any input?” she asked, opening the bursting binder to reveal several printed holo scans of vases and flowers and ribbons.

Ben physically backed out of the room. “No thank you. I’ll leave that to you and Rey.”

“Go see her, she’s beyond stressed. Poor thing is exhausted,” Leia sighed emphatically. “She could use a hug.”

Her son gave a mock-salute of acknowledgement. “Will do, General.”

Leia was correct. Rey appeared catatonic, fixing her gaze on a single indiscernible point and sitting absolutely frozen. Her buns were messy and her loose hair hung limp.

“Rey, darling, are you okay?”

She nodded weakly. “Yes, Ben. I’m just tired, baby.”

 _That’s a new nickname._ _No time to consider that._

“You need a nap,” he determined. “A long nap.”

“Uh huh.”

“I can’t believe you’re getting so worked up about this,” he cooed, taking off her jacket and moving the covers for her to get in. “The details of this could not matter less to me.”

She glared at him in a way that made his blood cold. He was sincerely glad her saber was at least out of her physical reach. 

“What I _mean_ is I don't want you to be so stressed. It makes me anxious.”

“I want to get married as soon as possible, so I’m doing, I’m doing so many things,” she mumbled. “I just wanna get married right now.”

She sounded like a grumpy child, but Ben began to seriously consider her whiny demand.

“I know, I know, but right now, we are taking a nap. Nap first before anything else.”

Rey started up her protests again but her fiancé hushed her with a finger against her lips. Clearly delirious and half asleep, she kissed the finger before visibly relaxing. 

He did not want to leave her. He wanted to climb right in and rub his thumb against her shoulder until she woke up. But he needed to talk to his mother yet again.

Thankfully, the conversation was short in comparison to Rey’s nap. Her eyes remained firmly shut until just after dinner, when she woke up cranky from hunger. Ben had the foresight to bring a roll in case.

“Don’t worry about the wedding anymore,” he told her. “I talked to Leia. We’re figuring it out.”

“What do you mean?” Rey asked.

He just smiled knowingly. “You were asking to get married right now. It’s not possible to do it _immediately_ , but we’re getting married in a week.”

She beamed. “Force, thank you Ben.”

“I’m equally as desperate to marry you too, this is as much for my benefit as yours.” With that he soothed her back to sleep.

  
  


Ben was not as organized as he thought himself to be. Sure, he could fake the skills when Rey asked about the planning, but in practice? He was a mess.

Leia had removed herself entirely from the process at her son’s insistence, despite her doubts. _She was_ right _, Mom is_ always _right_ , he thought regretfully. He stared at the list of things he needed to book and purchase immediately, as in that afternoon, and felt his head begin to ache. 

_Why do I need to plan at all? I know Mom wants us to have a formal wedding but this is not the correct timing._ He thought for a long moment and weighed a few options. 

_We could elope_ . _Just, get married in secret, hop on a ship to Naboo, and come back a month later for a brief reception of some sort. Save the frivolous nonsense for later._ Ben still wanted the Alderaanian formal wear, but Leia had a suit for him and found a pattern for a dress for Rey that was nearly completed as it was. He cleared the list from the holopad.

_Rey? I know I said a week, but how about tomorrow night?_

_What are you talking about? You’re aware of how busy I am, and didn’t Leia say not to mention the wedding plann—_

_No planning. We get dressed up and Leia marries us in the gardens._

Rey’s line went dead for a moment. _Yes. Tomorrow._

He smiled and left her to her own devices. 

  
  


The dress was thankfully finished on time, thanks to some last minute work. Ben carefully buttoned the navy blue attire and brushed over his hair. It was fastened half up with silver ornaments Leia had gifted him. _Force, I am terrified._

Anakin rested his hand on Ben’s shoulder. “You look incredible, grandson. You’ll be just fine, deep breaths. I know how scary it is to hold a secret wedding.”

“I forgot about that, how you and Grandma had to hide.” He paused. “Rey and I are very lucky.”

“Indeed you are. Obi Wan is waiting in the hall to meet you. I suggested he come into your quarters but he found it invasive, I suppose,” Anakin laughed. “He’s a stubborn old man.”

A shorter, blonde man stood in the narrow hall. He was dressed in pale cream robes and had a gentle youthfulness to his face, though he was clearly older than Anakin.

“Benjamin Solo. An honor.” He held out his hand for Ben to shake. The accent reminded him of Rey’s.

“Obi Wan. I’ve heard so much about you.”

The master glanced to Anakin. “What have you been telling him about me?”

“Nothing that isn’t true, Kenobi,” the taller man smirked.

“Oh, Force,” Obi Wan sighed. “I am rather excited to see Luke again. I tried multiple times to reach him during his exile, but he seemed upset by the attempts.”

“I’m sure he’ll be overjoyed, but later," Anakin said reassuringly. “Come on, groom.”

Leia was waiting, sitting on a concrete ledge under the towering tree. The reddish moon was barely visible between the winding branches. 

Her eyes watered. “Oh, Ben,” she whispered. 

“Please, don’t cry on me now,” he said. “I have our two witnesses.”

Obi Wan embraced her. “Princess,” he said, bowing. 

“It's General, actually,” Anakin chided, resting his hand on his daughter's shoulder.

_I’m coming._

“She’s close, you two get out of the way,” Ben said suddenly, waving at Obi and his grandfather.

Leia straightened herself as Rey came around the corner.

Ben had to physically restrain himself from gasping. He’d never seen Rey in anything but her desert clothes or plain Resistance wear. The dress was light, floaty fabric, with drapey sleeves that fell to her wrists. He silently thanked the dressmaker.

She clasped his hands in front of Leia. 

_I love you_

_I know._


End file.
